How To Be A Better Mom: 5 Helpful Tips

None of us are perfect and nobody should expect us to be when it comes to raising our little ones. Regardless of this statement, there are certainly areas that we can work hard at to improve on. And there’s nothing wrong with wanting to know how to be a better mom.

I’m not here to judge you or chastise you for your parenting shortcomings! The Lord knows I’ve been guilty of a few crappy parenting decisions myself.

But as the days, months, and years go on, you learn new things. So I want to offer what I’ve learned that will hopefully help you. These are just a few of my tips on becoming a better mother to your child.

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5 tips on helping you to know how to be a better mom

How to be a better mom: Tip #1

Don’t set your expectations too high.

Since becoming a mother, I’ve noticed just how much I tend to compare myself to other moms. Whenever I see a mother in public with multiple kids, handling herself so gracefully, I 1) debate whether or not she’s actually human and 2) Immediately take note of what she does and how she’s able to accomplish such a daunting task.

I hate that I get like this and I know that I’m doing a great job raising my daughter. But like most other moms out there going through the same thing, I strive to be supermom even though it’s seemingly impossible.

Setting infeasible expectations is the ultimate downfall of so many moms with their parenting journey. Impossible expectations have been the root of so many issues and obstacles I have faced so far as a mother. The setting of high goals and constant feeling of not doing well enough makes me borderline insane!

To make our lives easier, we need to stop comparing ourselves to others. We should spend more time setting reasonable goals and strive to achieve those goals.

How to be a better mom: Tip #2

Don’t be too hard on yourself.

Let’s say you set a certain expectation for yourself and maybe you don’t reach your goal within the desired time frame. Instead of beating yourself up for it, take a deep breath and relax. Being a parent is one of the hardest jobs a person has in their lifetime. If it were easy, where would the fun be in that?

My goal for weaning my daughter from the bottle was “no more bottles after 14 months.” She is now 15 months and we are just now beginning the weaning process. Life happens and things change. Being a parent means you need to adapt to your surroundings.

This goes back to not setting your goals and expectations too high. Because if you do that, you are only going to cause unnecessary stress on your entire family. When things don’t go as planned, be flexible. And most importantly, don’t make a big deal out of it. Just go with the flow and your goal will be reached soon enough.

How to be a better mom: Tip #3

Practice active listening.

Not only will this make you a better mother for your little one, but it will help them grow up to be active listeners as well. Being an active listener directly affects how healthy your relationships with others are. And if you want your little one to grow up having proper social skills, this is essential.

There are several ways to encourage active listening, but it all starts with you leading by example. In most cases, children will look up to their parents to learn acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. If you show them how to be a good listener by practicing good listening skills, they will catch on and eventually start to mimic you as well.

Of course, leading by example isn’t the only thing you can do to encourage active listening. Other ways that help are requiring full attention when talking to one another, maintaining eye contact, and asking them to repeat what you said to make sure they understand.

How to be a better mom: Tip #4

Have designated “unplugged” days.

As much as we all enjoy that time period of peace during screen time, it is important to regulate the allotted screen time as well as take “screen-free” days to spend time together as a family. Sure, watching a movie together is fun! But when was the last time you and the kids went to your nearest park or museum?

Spending time away from technology is a refreshing way to reconnect with your family without worrying about social media or what is on TV. As a freelance writer, I spend a lot of time staring at my computer screen day after day. This is sometimes at the expense of spending quality time with my daughter. I find that the days where I spend more time hanging out with my daughter and less time worrying about work deadlines, the happier I am (at least until it’s time to submit pieces to clients).

If going a full day without technology just isn’t your family’s style, that’s okay. It really is as easy as just taking an hour or two a day to go for a walk or play a game together. This way you build a strong bond between you and your little one.

If you’re like me and you work from home, chances are your little ones are reveling in the fact that they get to spend quality unplugged time with mama.

How to be a better mom: Tip #5

Just keep doing what you’re doing.

If you’re reading this hoping to get an idea on how to improve yourself, chances are you have a bad case of the mommy-comparison virus. Not sure what that is? You can refer to the first tip on our list for an explanation.

As long as your kids are alive and well, you’re doing a great job as a mother. Even on those days when you don’t think you can handle another tantrum in the middle of a public place, you just have to think about how well taken care of your little ones are.

I’ve certainly experienced my fair share of mom guilt cases, but I get through them by reminding myself that I am doing just fine. It also helps seeing my little girl smile every time she sees me.

So don’t get so down on yourself, don’t set too many unreasonable expectations and keep on keepin’ being mama. Because I promise you, it will get better!

Do you have tips for helping others become better parents? Or any advice of your own on how to be a better mom? Let us know!

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Writing and blogging has always been an interest of Melissa’s, but never something she pursued until recently. She is an avid reader, collecting books for the library in her home. She says “there is no such thing as too many books”. Her obsession with books and reading is what turned her towards writing. She is a sunny South Florida native with a passion for traveling the world. She loves coffee, Gilmore Girls, dinosaurs, bright lipsticks, she is a vegan and loves all animals. She is a proud mom to one adorable fur-baby, and a loving aunt to two nephews.